Deschutes Brewery’s seasonal “Cinder Cone Red” is slated to cease production very soon, with “The Last Run of Cinder Cone: Celebrating the Life of Cinder Cone Red” happening on January 5th, marking the end of an era for this popular northwest seasonal amber ale.

Portland has a KILLER scene for craft brews. I had the pleasure of judging a food and beer pairing event for Deschutes last night at the Deschutes Public House and spent the day prior aimlessly wandering from craft brewery to craft brewery. Look for coverage of the Deschutes event in the March issue of Mutineer. Here are a couple shots from Sunday’s adventures: See the full post »

It’s a notebook, made out of a beer box. Apparently it’s a stellar idea; these were introduced on October 9, 2009, and they are now sold out, elevating the beer box notebook to an elite level of products-so-popular-they-sell-out-fast including: bandwidth on Apple’s 3G Network, U2 tickets, Tickle Me Elmo and Mutineer Issue 7.

The beer box notebooks are recycled, stuffed with sustainable and wrapped in green karma awesomeness, with all parts being reused from other projects and bound together with thread.

Today marks a first for the world of craft beer as Andrew Van Til becomes the first person to receive the title of Master Cicerone. In June 2008, Andrew passed the Certified Beer Server exam (much like our good friend The Beer Wench recently did, congrats!), in November 2008 he passed the Certified Cicerone Exam and today, he passed the Master Cicerone exam and he is the only one to have done so yet. Andrew is currently an account manager for Elite Beverage Michigan and previously worked as a brewer and bartender at Via Maria Trattoria in Holland, MI for six years, as well as doing off-premises sales at Art of the Table in Grand Rapids, MI. See the full post »

From the creative brewing masterminds who brought you High or Hell Watermelon Wheat Beer and Brew Free or Die IPA, 21st Amendment Brewery from San Francisco is pleased to present to you Monk’s Blood. Only available in limited edition four-pack of cans and on draft, Monk’s Blood pays tribute to the monks of Belgium’s monasteries who have been brewing some of the world’s greatest beer for centuries. Monk’s Blood is an 8.3% alcohol, dark Belgian-style ale brewed with eight malts, Belgian candi sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean, local black mission figs, and aged on oak. See the full post »

Olde Rabbit’s Foot is a release that has been talked about for months, though little information was really known about it other than three things:

1) It would be a collaboration between Foothills Brewing, The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, and Olde Hickory Brewery.
2) It would be an imperial stout.
3) It would be aged in bourbon barrels.

And finally, after many months of unanswered questions and unexpected delays, information surrounding the mythical beer has finally been released…and a big surprise to all, only 17 days before it is set to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting North Carolina. See the full post »

Just days away, The Lost Abbey Patron Saints & Sinners Club will begin membership registration December 1 at 6 A.M. PST. Two separate clubs, the Patron Saints Club focuses on Lost Abbey’s year-round and seasonal beers whereas the Patron Sinners Club focuses on the rarities found in Lost Abbey’s coveted barrel room. Each club receives a special bottling available only to their club such as Sinners ’09 mentioned in Mutineer Magazine Issue 8.

There are also some new additions to the clubs this year. Saints and Sinners will receive a six piece Lost Abbey Crystal Tumbler set or Lost Abbey Tulip Stemware set, and new beers have been thrown into the mix of the Sinners club to include Framboise de Amarosa and The Angel’s Share Grand Cru. Membership also entitles you to VIP access to additional bottle allotments, product discounts, a special Patron Saints and Sinners Dinner and access to Sanctum Sanctorum (online portal exclusively for Patron club members with information on the latest releases, events, rare bottlings, etc.). See the full post »